So, this morning seemed to be just like any other morning.
I was getting up to my usual routine, going to the greasy-spoon cafe my friend Colin used to own for a good old English breakfast, followed by going to the cinema (today I was watching "This is England", a movie about a group of Skinheads in the early 80's) and a stroll through town before going home, doing some shopping in the local supermarket and getting ready for dinner, before settling down in from of the telly, when I thought I deviate a bit from the usual.
Prelude: Beside having signed up for an Italian class last term, I also had done some Flamenco dance-classes.
Obviously, as with most dances, there is specialised equipment, in this case the shoes. But they cost a fortune. So I did do the course in my normal boots.
This term, since I could not do my Italian summer course, not that I wasn't interested, but it was cancelled due to not enough takers, I had some time before the Flamenco class, so I decided to fill the time by taking up another dance class - namely tap-dancing (yes, images of me being Fred Astaire spring to mind, I know).
I went last week for the first time and it was easier than Flamenco, I have to say. And I found out that compared to Flamenco shoes, tap dance shoes are rather cheap. So, as both dances rely up to a certain extend to make sound with the shoes, I thought I catch two flies with one stroke and buy tapdance shoes.
Yes, there is a point to all this, I am coming to it in a second...
So, yesterday I checked on Google on the nearest Dance equipment shop, made sure that they opened on Saturday and before going for the fry-up went to it.
But... of course... it was closed! The staff had decided to have a long weekend (this Monday is a Bank holiday) and have 4 days off.
Well, since I was deprived to buy shoes, I had no other choice to satisfy my shopping desires than to buy a house. 
Yes - I got another house. 
I had looked around for a buy-to-let house for some time. I thought it a good idea in light that otherwise I never secure a pension of means, having started full employment rahter late in life. Of course while I was studying, I had supported myself by working, but being student jobs they did not count towards the state pension scheme. And the 3 years in Prague may also not come in to any European-wide pension agreement. So I have really only paind in to the state pension coffers for the last 5 years. So even if I work the next 20 years (brrr, what a thought) I never meet the requirement to be in line for a state pension. Social security benefits would be the future for my retirement.
But here in England of course there is an alternative: property. A good long term investment with house prices rising way above the inflation rate. But for the price I could afford, there were only dumps on the market- you would not believe the state of the houses that I had a viewed. I was a bit disappointed, but I thought "Such is life".
But then luck struck.
My neighbour had told me awhile ago that his landlord was about to sell the house. Last Sunday I scoured the internet and low and behold the house came up in one of the estate agents sites. Monday morning I phoned the agent, on Tuesday I spoke with my mortgage advisor, and today I signed the papers.
Brilliant!
And the best bit? As my neighbour wants to stay in the house, I don't have to search for new tenants, and get rent from day one. The rent is enough to cover my mortgage payments and the insurance, so in effect it does not cost me a penny per month extra.
Of course, it is not all set yet, things can still go wrong.. like the vendor changing his mind (it happened when I tried to buy my first house with Colin, or there is something seriously wrong with the house so the bank doesn't want to lend the amount of money needed, which also has happened before), but apart from that...
So, there it is, the one with the blue bay windows is the one I am buying ( No. 105) the one with the white bay window to the left is my house (no. 104) . Only another 103 houses to go before the whole street is mine 
Imagine, only 8 years ago I arrived in Birmingham an unemployed ex-Teacher, becoming a part-time student and now I have two houses.
I love England 
Now I really can go to Italy...
Tap dance is very exciting, and - not at all easier than flamenco